heartsteps

"Laughing Christ" by Noel Counihan

What is laughter? What is laughter?
It is God waking up! O it is God waking up!
It is the sun poking its sweet head out
From behind a cloud
You have been carrying too long,
Veiling your eyes and heart.

It is Light breaking ground for a great Structure
That is your Real body – called Truth.

It is happiness applauding itself and then taking flight
To embrace everyone and everything in this world.

Laughter is the polestar
Held in the sky by our Beloved,
Who eternally says,

“Yes, dear ones, come this way,
Come this way toward Me and Love!

Come with your tender mouths moving
And your beautiful tongues conducting songs
And with your movements – your magic movements
Of hands and feet and glands and cells – Dancing!

Know that to God’s Eye,
All movement is a Wondrous Language,
And Music – such exquisite wild Music!

O what is laughter, Hafiz?
What is this precious love and laughter
Budding in our hearts?

It is the glorious sound
Of a soul waking up!

Hafiz

"Dance of Joy" by Mary McEwan

What is the difference
Between your experience of Existence
And that of a saint?

The saint knows
That the spiritual path
Is a sublime chess game with God

And that the Beloved
Has just made such a Fantastic Move

That the saint is now continually
Tripping over Joy
And bursting out in Laughter
And saying, “I Surrender!”

Whereas, my dear,
I’m afraid you still think

You have a thousand serious moves.

Hafiz

"Resurrection" by Kathrin Burleson

Ironic, but one of the most intimate acts
of our body is
death.

So beautiful appeared my death – knowing who then I would kiss,
I died a thousand times before I died.

“Die before you die,” said the Prophet
Muhammad.

Have wings that feared ever
touched the Sun?

I was born when all I once
feared – I could
love.

Rabia

Spreading your arms wide
throw your body forward
prepare to soar into life,
the world is yours today,
so lay down your burdens,
pick up your joy,
and fly
through the door
of opportunity,
infinity. Your spirit
will live on,
long after your body’s gone.
Your energy will touch
so many, and your soul
hovering slightly overhead
will smile all the while.

Dive! they shouted,
the water’s fine!
take all the time you need,
but dive indeed,
into cool, clear pool
of your own ecstasy.
Breathe in the fresh
crisp, scent of love,
look at the moon above,
fall backwards into the crowd
and trust that we will catch you,
And rock you gently
to the ground.

Feel that sinking, excited feeling
in your belly, that roller coaster,
parachute sensation.
Laugh out loud,
be proud and touch
the sacred inside you.
Choose love each day
and don’t delay too long
your romance
with the planet
and its inhabitants.
You have only now
so show me how
very interested you are in living.